PEKANBARU - To ensure the success of the Illegal Cigarette Fighting Operation, Riau Customs and Excise carried it out throughout Riau and West Sumatra provinces. This activity was conducted concurrently at all Customs offices in Indonesia from July 5, 2024, to August 31, 2024.

This operation is intended to fight the circulation of illicit cigarettes, which is very harmful to the government in terms of income, to cigarette industry participants in terms of unhealthy rivalry among business actors, and, of course, to society in general. In this operation, Riau Customs and Excise works with the Enforcement and Investigation Directorate of the Head Office of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) and other Law Enforcement Officials (APH) to establish a favorable environment in the field.

During the Operation Combat Illegal Cigarettes period, which lasted from July 5 to August 31, 2024, Riau Customs and Excise and work unit offices under Riau Customs completed 129 actions, resulting in the confiscation of 17,641,744 illegal cigarettes in various regions of Riau and West Sumatra Provinces, both on land and in seas and waters such as Indragiri Hilir, Pekanbaru, Siak, Kampar, and Rokan Hilir. The infraction cost the state up to IDR ± 15.9 billion.

In the Operation to Fight Illegal Cigarettes, there were several large-scale actions taken. Most recently, Riau Customs and Excise together with Pekanbaru Customs and Excise took action on July 21 2024 on Raya Lintas Perawang-Siak Street against ±8,350,000 illegal cigarettes with the Camclar brand. The illegal cigarettes were successfully seized by Customs officers from the Mitsubishi Fuso truck used to transport and distribute the illegal cigarettes.

According to the perpetrator's evidence, he carried out smuggling operations at night to evade severe inspections by officials during the daytime. The contraband cigarettes are set to be supplied throughout Riau and West Sumatra provinces. The infringement resulted in state damages estimated at IDR ± 7.8 billion.

Previously, on July 17 2024, Riau Customs and Excise took action against ± 2,000,000 illegal Camclar brand cigarettes that were not attached with excise stamps in the Rokan Hilir Regency area, Riau Province. The illegal cigarettes were transported using Mitsubishi Colt Diesel trucks, and are planned to be distributed evenly throughout the provinces of Riau and West Sumatra.

Due to this violation, the state is estimated to have lost up to IDR ± 1.8 billion. Until this news was released, Riau Customs and Excise was still conducting further research and investigation into the two smuggling cases.

The Indonesian Army Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) team and the Army Military Police Detachment continue to provide full assistance to Riau Customs and Excise's operation to combat illegal cigarettes at all levels. This type of synergy represents APH's complete support for the monitoring actions carried out by the Directorate General of Customs and Excise to remove contraband cigarettes, particularly in the Riau and West Sumatra Provinces.

Riau Customs and Excise will continue to be fully committed to carrying out its function as a community protector, namely protecting the public from the dangers of illegal and dangerous goods that have the potential to enter from outside the customs area by continuing to increase supervision in border areas, as well as continuing to socialize the dangers of illegal goods and dangerous to the entire community and also business actors. (release)